Singapore’s Long-term City Planning: Optionality is a positive trait in a changing world

The Straits Times just published an article on “Designing S’pore Future” to review Singapore’s long-term land use plans. The author quoted Professor Heng Chye Kiang, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Asian Cities at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and enCity’s Senior Advisor, who said that “optionality is a positive trait, given the pace at which the world is changing.”

Ho Chi Minh Innovation District: “The Future Hub” Living Lab

With long-term enthusiasm for the city and three months of competition to show, the Sasaki – enCity team developed a planning proposal based on the idea of ​​​​building a new highly interactive and innovative district at the east of Ho Chi Minh City (now known as Thu Duc City). In the proposal, Sasaki and enCity suggested that Thu Duc City could utilise the model of “Future Hub Living Lab”, which supports innovative start-ups and encourages community participation.

Smart cities: “Not just liveable, but more loveable”

An efficient city does not, however, necessarily spark joy. It is liveable, yet a step short of being loveable. Live updates of bus and train arrivals, a technology available in many developed cities around the world, are crucial to the functioning of the city, yet it does little to differentiate city from city or to build up a unique identity of a place.